in this block we delve a bit deeper, exploring man three inner/soul qualities. there are said to be three main archetype animals who truly exemplify these qualities. they are the eagle (thinking), the bull/cow (willing) and the lion (feeling).
we will conclude by discussing how all of the animals we studied were specialized in one of the above areas, but at the cost of all the others, while man has a combination of all of the characteristics working together in balance.
the goal of these lessons is not to teach our children that we are superior, but to foster a connection to the natural world. such that the next time they 'meet' a new animal they might see a part of himself.
monday, march 1st
(read on own, 45 min, finish castle in the attic)
*workbooks (spelling, math & general ed)
main lesson:
*introduce eagle
*copywork:
"the eagle", alfred lloyd tennyson
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.
*nature study/outdoor hour
we set up our spring nature table!
lesson b:
tuesday, march 2nd
(read on own, 45 min, the castle in the attic)
*workbooks (spelling, math & general ed)
main lesson:
*further discussion about eagles
eagles have amazing eyesight. when they are soaring thousands of feet up in the air, they can spot a mouse scurrying across the field...something we might not even notice from just a few feet away. once they spot their prey, they swoop down and grasp it with their sharp talons. some eagles, such as the golden eagle, can swoop down as fast as 95 mph! as you might imagine, an eagle must possess amazing coordination to be able to grasp such a small rodent at such speeds.
perhaps you think the mouse could just run away to safety?? oh, my, no! an eagle swoops down at such speeds, on silent wings, and comes at its prey from behind. as the talons strike, the poor animal is knocked senseless. (think of a time when you have been hit from behind by something...it takes you a few moments to realize what has happened.) by the time the mouse has figured out what has happened, he is already far above the ground with little chance of escape.
an eagles true love is soaring. we rarely catch a glimpse of them, except for when they touch down for these occasional meals. eagles can cover amazing distances on any given day. the golden eagle, for instance, has a territory about 200 miles wide. it is in this territory that he builds his nest, or aerie. far atop a majestic mountain or perhaps on the peak of a rocky cliff...utterly inaccessible. their aeries are not simple, lightweight nests like those of the backyard birds we know. an eagles aerie is built like a fortress, and can last up to 100 years. they are made of layers of strong branches woven together like a basket. these aeries can weigh up to 2 tons when finished--that's as much as some cars!
with a nest such as this, you must realize that eagles are quite large & heavy. how then can they soar to gracefully through the sky?? well...they have discovered a secret that keeps them aloft for hours using very little energy.
warm air currents, known as updrafts, spiral upwards from the earth. an eagle will catch hold of one of these currents & be carried away...circling upwards, higher & higher, round & round. when it reaches the top of one air current, it simply glides over to the next.
eagles truly are amazing!
*project: origami eagles (& more)
lesson b:handwork, carding wool
orin was wanting a bit of a break from mending his quit, so he asked to card some wool instead.
wednesday, march 3rd
(read aloud w/mama, 45 min, on the far side of the mountain)
*workbooks (spelling, math & general ed)
main lesson:
*draw eagle
*write summary
lesson b:
baking, morning glory muffins
these are soooo good & so loaded with lots of 'extras'. i think they've been one of our favorite for the past 4 or 5 years at least! we eat them for breakfasts & snacks, and they are always a favorite to bring along to play dates & such...
thursday, march 4th
(read aloud w/mama, 45 min, "on the far side of the mountain")
*workbooks (spelling, math, and general ed)
main lesson:
*edit summary & copy into main lesson book
lesson b:
painting, "spring"
in honor of march bearing the spring equinox & to help ward off the gloom from all this snow, we painted "spring"...it was more or less a free paint...what we love about spring, what we are looking forward to, etc...
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